I can't speak for Gordon because I've never met him. I've always just assumed he was a reformer by virtue of his running mates. If Weinberg and Huttle didn't exist, I have a feeling he'd be allied with Ferriero out of necessity.
I've met Loretta Weinberg and have tremendous respect for the work she does.
I've also met Val Huttle.
Johnson gets a lot of respect from me for his local politics. I don't know how much you approve of dual office-holding, but Johnson is also on our City Council. He was elected last year to the At-Large seat after a fierce primary battle with the incumbent, one of the local survivors of the Democrats' corrupt old guard, and he's since been a strong voice of reform in a City Council that finally (with his election) has enough reformist votes to override Mayor Wildes and the no-bid contract development crew.
His election was also good for local politics because it defused accusations of racism. Before Johnson was elected to the City Council as a reformist Democrat, the City Council consisted of two black, corrupt Democrats and three white, reformist Democrats. Englewood has a long history of racial politics, being a (barely) plurality black city.
Would he be allied with Ferriero out of necessity? Possibly. He has a strong personal vote here in Englewood, though.
I love Englewood and the 37th because they're shining examples of how to purge the corruption in New Jersey politics.
